Steph Catley scores against Mary Fowler’s Manchester City as star Matildas shine in the Women’s Super League

In a battle of four Matildas in the Women’s Super League, Steph Catley scored a fantastic (and rare) goal to send Arsenal on their way to a 2-1 victory over fellow title contenders Manchester City.

Just four days and 14,500km away from their Olympic qualifying victory over Chinese Taipei in Perth, Catley and Caitlin Foord defeated City’s Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy in Monday morning’s big race.

The duo of Arsenal’s Matildas combined expertly for the 14th minute goal that set the Gunners on their way to victory. It was defender Catley’s third league goal in her four seasons at the club.

“I usually score about one a year, so I might be done with it,” Catley said.

After her heroics in midweek, Fowler had a quiet game by her current standards but was involved in the build-up to City’s second-half equalizer through Chloe Kelly.

But Arsenal still won the day thanks to an 88th-minute blunder by young City goalkeeper Khiara Keating, who misjudged a long ball pumped upfield, completely missing her attempted header outside the penalty area and before desperately turned around to see Stina Blackstenius tapping the tap. ball into an empty net.

It capped an eventful afternoon for 19-year-old Keating, who had earlier given away a penalty for a foul on Cloe Lacasse but then brilliantly saved Kim Little’s subsequent penalty.

The teenager needed consolation from her teammates at the final whistle as City suffered their first defeat of the season – a result that suited Matildas captain Sam Kerr.

On Saturday, unlike her WSL teammates elsewhere, Kerr had been given the luxury of an afternoon on the bench watching her Chelsea teammates beat Aston Villa 6-0.

The win gives the champions a three-point lead at the top over both Arsenal and City.

Tottenham, who drew 1-1 at home to Everton, and Liverpool, who beat Leicester 2-1, are also next to Arsenal and City on 10 points. Manchester United remain sixth with nine points after the 2-2 draw at Brighton Hove & Albion, while Bristol City won 3-2 at Mackenzie Arnold’s West Ham United to finish bottom of the table.

MONKEY